Secrets, Lies, and Love
by Calmer of the Storm
Summary: Hikari, a rebel, has been sent on an undercover mission to spy on the reformists. All is going well, but, what if she begins to fall in love with one of them?
1. Mission

Angel of Light: I GOT A NEW IDEA FOR A FIC YAY!!!!!!!!

Cody: I think they can see that.

Angel of Light: I'm just stating the obvious. Anyways, on with the fic!

Cody: Hold on a minute!

Angel of Light: What? Sorry, I stole your line. Okay, you can say it.

Cody: I don't care about that, and stop acting innocent! You know you didn't say it, so I will!

Angel of Light: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Cody: She doesn't own Digimon. She doesn't own you either, contrary to what she may think in her twisted little mind. Now, on with the fic.

Angel of Light: *pouts in a corner*

Note: The story starts with the characters slightly OOC, but It's my fic, and I'm the author.

Couples: Takari (duh!) and small Taiora, Joumi (I think that's how you spell it…) and maybe more.

Tai, Sora, Matt =27

Mimi, Joe =28

Takeru, Hikari, Davis = 23

Yolie, Ken = 24

Hikari walked through the halls of the rebel base. Usually, she would walk through here with no destination in particular, but today was different. She was headed to the main office, where her brother, the rebel leader, wanted to see her. She knew it was a business matter, as he would have told her somewhere else if it was a different matter. 

Her heels clicked on the floors as she walked. People knew that she was on her way to the boss, as she only walked that fast and with that much determination when she was. Today, no one stopped her to talk. 

She reached the door, and pressed the buzzer. A female voice came over the intercom. To no one's surprise, it was Sora. 

Sora was her brother's wife and secretary. You weren't allowed to see him if you didn't see her first. 

"Hello?"  


"Hi Sora, it's Hikari."

"Oh, one sec, I'll open the door. Taichi has been waiting for you."

A buzzer sounded, and Hikari opened the door. She was greeted by Sora's smiling face.

"Good morning. I don't think he's doing anything, so you can go in. If he is doing something, I'm sure you'll be fine. He'd never shoot you."

Hikari smiled at the remark, and went through the door behind Sora. 

Newcomers would think this a joke, but it wasn't. If you weren't invited and you walked into the office, you risked getting killed. There were few people that he wouldn't shoot, Sora and Hikari being two of them. It also depended on his mood. 

"Taichi?" 

"Oh, Hikari, hi. I was just doing some paperwork. It's so boring, but somebody's got to do it. Please, have a seat."

Hikari sat down on a chair on the other side of his desk, across from him.

"So, how's my little sister been doing?" He said with a smirk.

"I'm not little anymore, Tai."

"I know, just like to bother you. That's what siblings are for, right?"

"I'll remember that. Anyways, what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"What? Am I not allowed to talk with family? Why do you assume that I want you to do something for me?"

"Because that's the only reason you call me here. We can talk any other time, but we talk business in the office."

He threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. You got me. You're right. I _do_ have something that I need you to do.

"As you know, the enemy knows very well where our base is, and we still have no clue where theirs is. My guess is that it's underground somewhere. In order to in this war, we need to find the base. The only reason they're hiding, is because they're weak, insolent fools. They know very well that if we were to find them, it would be over for them. 

"Anyways, I've thought this through for a while, and I think that it would be a good idea to send someone in undercover."

"And that's why I'm here, isn't it." she stated.

"Precisely. I need you to find the base, and report back to us, without being discovered. It will be dangerous, but I know you'll do it well."

"But, why me?"

"Because you fit the job description. I needed a young, beautiful maiden." he smirked, she rolled her eyes. 

"You're going to pull a D.I.D."

"What?!"

"A Damsel in Distress."

"Yes, yes I know that, but why?"

"Because. I hear that they have some patrols around here, and I hear from my sources that they are getting closer. I know these people quite well, and if they were to stumble upon someone who needed help, they would bring them back to get it."

"But I'm a rebel, Taichi. Reformists hate rebels. They'd never take me in."

"That's why they won't find out that you are one. You'll fake that you've been attacked by the rebels, and they'll see you as an ally."

"Okay, so I'm supposed to run out screaming 'help help, the rebels are chasing me! Help!' come on Tai, they're not stupid. They'll realize it's a trap. And if we pull out the red dye, they'll realize that too."

"That's why the injuries are going to be real."

"What?!"

Tai sighed. "It's hard on me, and it will be even harder on you, but I've made the decision, and it's unanimous."

Kari leaned in closer.

"What, exactly, are you going to do to me?"

"Well……."

~*~

Sora was sitting outside, filing some papers. She didn't have to wonder what was going on, as her husband had already told her. She looked at her watch, and decided that it was about time. She put everything down, and waited for it.

The waiting really wasn't all that long.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yep, right on time. 

Sora listened through the door.

"I CAN'T BELIVE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THIS TO ME! ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHAT IF I DIE, TAI, WHAT IF SOMEHTING HAPPENS TO ME?" Hikari screeched.

"Don't worry; it'll be Davis who does it." Tai tried to calm her.

"Oh great! That makes everything _SO_ much better!!!" she yelled sarcastically.

"Come one, Hikari, you know he's the best."

She was silent for a moment, but her breathing was hard.

"Kari, it's the only way that they'll believe that you're not with us, and when they look at you, you'll be genuinely hurt. It's a foolproof plan. Nothing can go wrong. Then, when you're better, you'll come back here and report what you saw. Then, we wipe them off the face of the planet, and we win."

She sighed, then said angrily. "I'll think about it." Hikari turned, and stormed out of the room. 

"You'll be paid well!" Taichi shouted after her just as she slammed the door.

When she left, Sora got up, and went in. 

"That went well."

"Yes, it did, didn't it." he said with a smile. "You know what I think?" 

"What?" she asked.

"I think that you need a break." He walked out, and locked the front door. There were a few people who had a key, but only to the first lock. It was the second that he used. He tossed the keys in the air, then caught them again and placed them on Sora's desk. 

"I think that I need a break too." He smiled and walked closer to her. 

She smiled back, and placed her arms around his neck, as he kissed her lightly. As time went on, it grew heavier, and more passionate.

~*~

Hikari stormed out of the main building, and out into the streets. People still stayed out of her way, as she was on a rampage. Those who knew what was going on realized that she had been told, and those who didn't, didn't dare to ask. 

She stormed through the streets, and went towards her house. But instead of going to hers, she went to Davis's. 

"DAVIS!" She yelled as she entered the door.

"Geez! Haven't you ever heard of knocking? You don't just-" He stopped as he saw the look on her face.

"Oh, so I guess Tai told you, huh."

"You better bet he told me!"

"Hey, personally, I voted against it, but hey, what can I say, you're brother thinks I'm the best, and I have to admit, I am."

She walked closer to him. "I swear, if _anything_ happens to me, you'll be deader tan those reformists will be when we're through with them!" she threatened.

"Hey, take it easy. I _never _miss. That's why the boss chose me for the job."

"If you miss even in the slightest bit, I swear-"

"I know, I'll be deader than the reformists. Don't worry, it'll be fine. It's gonna be a close call though, I have to make it look like I was trying to kill you."

"Yes, I know." she replied through gritted teeth.

"It'll be fine, don't worry."

"You already said that."

"Because I'm trying to make a point."

Hikari sighed. "Show me what you'll be using."

Davis nodded. "This way."

He led her down a flight of stairs that led into the basement. Then, he pulled a secret lever that opened a section of the wall. Inside, was a small weaponry.

"I'll be using this." He pulled out a small hand gun. "It's small, but it'll to the job. It's mostly just loud, and it shouldn't do too much damage. It won't go all the way through, and I'll be standing a ways back. I'll hit you right about here." He pointed to a spot, just on her shoulder. It was away from any vital elements, and, if everything went well, would only leave a scar. It was on the right side of her chest, as not to hit the heart. 

"Are you sure that you're up to this?"

"No, I'm not up to it," she sighed, "but I'll do it."

Davis nodded, and put the gun back. 

"I guess I should go tell my brother. He'll need to know."

Hikari turned, and left. She went back the way she came, only a little slower. She stopped to get something to eat, as she realised that she was really hungry. After, she proceeded back to the main building. 

She went back through the halls of the building, and went to the uppermost floor. Her shoulder length chestnut hair streamed along behind her as she walked. Frustrated, she pulled it back into a sloppy ponytail. She pressed the buzzer.

"Hello?"

"Let me in, I need to talk to my brother."

Sora was silent, as she didn't want to get in her way. She opened the door, and Hikari entered. She flew passed Sora, and stormed into his office. Tai was on the phone with someone, and looked up angrily. His expression changed when he realized who it was. He smiled and held up his finger, telling her to wait a moment.

Annoyed, Hikari tapped her foot rather loudly.

Five minutes later, Tai was off the phone. He folded his hands, and leaned forward. 

"So, you've made you're decision?"

"Fine, I'll do it. But, if I get hurt-"

"Davis will pay with his life, and I will never ask you to do anything ever again." He finished for her. "Sound good?"

"Fine."

He smiled, "Good."

"So, when are you going to brutally murder me?"

"Tomorrow night."

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Well thanks for the week's notice." she said sarcastically. 

"I'm sorry, but I didn't know that they would be here a week ago. I was informed late yesterday, and I came up with the plan. You were out on your duties, and I couldn't get a hold of you. I wasn't about to tell you on a message, so I left one to tell you to meet me. They're going to be here tomorrow night, and that's when we have to act."

She just looked at him. "Fine, I'm still in."

"Excellent. Now, You can't look like a rebel. You'll need to turn in your weapons, and your badge. You can't look all neat and tidy, your hair would be perfect like that. Find a pair of old jeans and an old t-shirt. Rip them up a bit, and stain them with dirt and stiff. The blood will do the rest."

"Sounds comforting."

"You'll be just on the outskirts, and Davis will be the only one with you. He'll return promptly after. He's been instructed to make a big commotion about it as well. There will be two more stationed as watchers to let you know when to begin. I think that's about all."

She nodded her head.

"Come here tomorrow at six thirty all ready. Davis will be here, as will Todd and Cael, who will be the other two."

Hikari nodded once more, and left.

~*~

That night wasn't very good for her. She wasn't looking forward to being shot, but then again, who would. At least they would finally get those annoying pests out of their hair, and they could live like the nice little rebels that they were. She didn't see a problem with the way that they were living, it seemed to work. They were fine until the reformists came. Something about living in harmony and peace.

__

'Harmony and peace my butt. They don't know what it's like to live like this, and they never will.'

She tossed and turned, until the wee hours of the morning, she finally found some rest. 

~*~

When she woke up, Hikari looked at the clock. She had slept in, a lot. It was now almost noon. She rolled out of bed, and looked at herself. There would be no use in putting any make-up on, and didn't brush her hair. She put it once again into a sloppy ponytail, then headed to her wardrobe closet. 

After a half hour of searching, she found a fair of faded jeans, quite tight, and a white t-shirt. It was loose, but short. It would do for the mission. She also found some old running shoes. 

Since she had time, Hikari took to work with the scissors. She cut tiny holes, then ripped them, to make her clothes look even older. 

When she was finished, Hikari made herself some breakfast, or rather, lunch. She sat in front of the television for a few hours. 

After frying her brain, she looked over at the clock. It was quarter to four. She still had some time. Hikari went over and filled Meeko's food and water dishes. She didn't want her cat to starve. She figured that she'd leave the flap unlocked, so the cat could get in and out of the house. She make her brother check on him every once and a while as payment. He'd also have to water the plants, and feed the fish. 

She tidied up a little, as she didn't know how long she'd be gone. Also, to waste some more time. Not that she wanted this to happen, but she hated waiting and dreading for it to happen. She might as well get it over with quickly. 

After eating some dinner, she glanced over at the clock. It was six. Fed up and tired of waiting, Kari left. She didn't bother with a jacket, and just left. At quarter after, she reached her brother's office.

Once again, she pressed the buzzer. Sora's voice didn't come over the intercom, but the door was still opened for her. Hikari went right in, and went strait to the back.

"Hikari, hi! You're early." Taichi commented.

"Got fed up with waiting."

"Anxious to get shot?" he asked.

"Definitely." she answered with sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Well, I guess it's not that bad of a thing." Tai turned to Davis, who was standing just beside him. "Take my sister to the designated spot now. Wait there until you hear the signal from Todd and Cael, whom you know are already there. You know what the signal is. Wait for the right moment, until they're only a few metres away, then act. Hikari will do the rest. The reformists won't be here for another few hours, but I want you to get in place, just in case. As for the time being, I'm sure the two of you can find something to do to amuse yourselves." Tai turned back to his sister. 

"Davis has been instructed to make a commotion about this whole thing. Don't let them follow him, for he will be coming strait back here. I'll give you this. It's a hearing device. I don't care what you do with it, just don't get found out. There's no telling what they'll do."

"Oh, and one more thing." Tai tossed Kari a red packet. "This is for extra effect. The wound really isn't going to be as big as you think. This'll make it worse."

Hikari nodded. She could feel her heart thumping against her chest. She felt as if it would explode through her rib cage any second now.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Tai urged.

Davis took Kari, and they went out.

"So, you excited?"

"Thrilled." she said through gritted teeth.

"Great."

"I swear, when I get back, I'm going to have to shoot you."

"Haha, that's a funny one." he replied, thinking that she was still being sarcastic.

"I'm dead serious."

"Oh…"

The two kept walking until they reached the spot. It was in a dense forest, just outside the base. You could see in, but only make out shadows. They stopped right at the roadside, hidden behind the line of trees. Davis spotted Cael and Todd who were up further, on either side of the path. They were standing, as they didn't need to hide at the moment. 

"I'm just going to mark where I'm going to stand. You should stand somewhere near the road." Davis told her.

Hikari went and stood just inside the boundaries. She turned and looked back at him, annoyed. 

Davis stopped a ways away, and marked it. He shouted back, "Mark the spot with something, nothing can go wrong here."

Hikari looked down, and started kicking a spot in the dirt.

~*~

Time passed very slowly, for all of them. The two of them chatted, well, Davis chatted, Hikari zoned out. Finally, the signal was heard. Davis shot up to attention. 

"That's the signal", he whispered, "get into place."

Hikari nodded, frightened and nervous. She thought about bolting at that moment.

__

'No, I can't. It won't do any damage, and it's only going to pierce the skin a little. This could be the breakthrough that everyone's been counting on, and I'm not going to back out now.' she told herself.

She opened the packet that her brother had given her, and she smeared a little on her shirt. She got it on her hands, and a few other places as well, for effect. Voices were coming down the path. These people really didn't care for secrecy. 

~*~

"So, what are we supposed to do, exactly?" One of them asked.

"We're supposed to gather any information that we can that will help us. Things have been quiet around here lately, too quiet." Another answered.

"They have to be planning something." Said yet another.

~*~

Davis held up the gun, Hikari closed her eyes. She waited for it. They were close, he pulled the trigger.

~*~

BANG!!

"What was that?"

"There's someone on there!"

Hikari fell through the trees, faking unconsciousness. She dared not move.

She could hear them run over, and one of them was close.

"She's been shot!" the one that was closest shouted.

"Those darn rebels, they'll do anything for fun." said another.

Davis ran, cracking branches and thumping his feet loudly as he ran.

"He's getting away!" yelled the last.

"Leave him. She's more important now." It was the one who was examining her. "We have to get her back to base. She needs medical attention."

"We can't do that!" one protested.

"We have to! Besides, it's not like she's a rebel or anything. They wouldn't go so low as to shoot one of their own." The third said. 

"Alright, we'll come back later. I'm not carrying her though."

"Fine, I will." She heard as she was picked up. She would have opened her eyes, but she couldn't risk it. She was in pain, but it wasn't as bad as she had initially thought. It turned out that the bullet wasn't even real metal. It was more like rubber. Still, it hurt. 

Todd and Cael watched as they took Hikari away. When they were out of hearing range, Cael picked up his walkie-talkie.

"Hello?"

*"Yeah?"*

"She's in."

*"Good."*

"What do we do now?"

*"Come back to the base. Then, we wait."*

Angel of Light: How was that idea? Is it a little far fetched? I really need to know…so please tell me! I want to know if I should keep going with it. If you don't like it, tell me and I'll scrap it. If you do, tell me and I'll bring out more chapters! TtFn!


	2. Complications

Angel of Light: Well, here goes with the next chapter! It's still a little OOC, but the characters will begin to have some of their regular traits later on. I still need feedback on this thing! 

Cody: I hate it. I'm not in it.

Angel of Light: I wasn't talking to you, Cody. And maybe if you treat me _really _nice, I'll include you in it.

Cody: *rolls eyes*

Hikari kept her eyes closed the whole time. She listened to the conversation, and found out what kind of people these guys were. They were easy going, and maybe too laid back. She figured from her past experiences with these people that they were a lot different in battle. Her 'captors' certainly didn't act like the reformists she knew. 

After they walked a little, the small group climbed onto some motorcycles. They were far enough away from her home base that they wouldn't hear them coming, but close enough to make a quick getaway.

__

'Very clever', she thought. 

Very gently, the man who was carrying her placed her on the vehicle. He climbed on behind her, and held her there. He started up the bike, and checked on her. He had placed her so that he could use his hands to steer, but he could still keep her from falling out. 

~*~

They rode for quite a while, maybe forty-five minutes. Hikari assumed that it only took longer because they were going slower than they normally would, because of her. Finally, they stopped. 

The man got off, and carefully took her off. 

"How's she doing?" one of the others asked.

"She's still not awake. I can't tell the extent of her injuries through all this blood." he replied.

"There sure seems to be a lot of it."

"Yeah."

"Well, let's bring 'er in to Joe. He'll take a look at 'er."

"Right."

The next thing she knew, Hikari was being carried off into the base. She still had her eyes closed, as not to risk being caught. She's seen what killers they could be, though they couldn't be worse than her own people, she had to admit. 

She was carried through a series of passageways, and the man finally stopped after entering a room. There, he greeted someone.

"Hey Joe! I need a little assistance here!"

"What is it Taker- Oh my."

"Yeah. We found her by the rebel base. It seems that they shot the poor girl. It disgusts me that they would shoot someone so innocent."

"Place her on the bed here, and I'll have a look at her." instructed Joe.

Takeru walked forwards, and placed her on the bed. He looked at her softly. There was something about her that had captivated him.

"Takeru?" Joe said, "Yoo-hoo, Takeru? Is anybody home?"

He snapped put of it, and blushed, "S-sorry."

"No need to apologize. So, does our mystery girl have a name?" he asked.

The younger one placed a hand behind his head, "Well obviously she does, but we just don't know it."

"You mean, there was no ID, no nothing?"

Takeru nodded.

"So, you just picked her off the streets and brought her here without knowing anything of her background at all? What if she's a spy?"

Hikari began to get slightly nervous, but didn't say anything for obvious reasons.

"Well, she fell out of the trees in front of us; she'd just been shot. It's not like the rebels would go so far as to shoot one of their own."

"Still, you never know." he sighed, "But I guess you do have a point. It makes me wonder, though. Why would one of the rebels go so far out of the base, just to shoot someone? It's obvious the shot was meant to kill."

"Maybe she knows something that could be vital information to us." the blonde suggested.

"Perhaps."

There was a moment of silence as they both looked over at her. Questions were running through each of their minds as to who she was and what she was doing, among other things.

"If you'll excuse me, I should probably start examining her."

Takeru nodded, and headed for the door. "Uh, I'll be around if you, uh, need me."

Joe nodded, and closed the door behind him. A small smile crept across his face, and he shook his head. 

His face turned serious as he went to prepare to work. He pulled out a pair of scissors, and began to cut away the part of her shirt that surrounded the wound. When he was finished, he looked at it, but couldn't see through all the blood. He pulled out a piece of gauze and began to wipe away the excess 'blood'. After that, he pulled out the alcohol.

As soon as he opened the bottle, Hikari could smell it right away. She decided that this would be a good time to 'wake up' as she didn't think she could handle the stinging and stay 'unconscious'. 

"Ugh…" she groaned.

Joe looked up. "Oh, you're awake."

"Wer-Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"You're currently in the doctor's office, who would be me, in our home base."

She gave him a confused look.

"You were shot."

Her eyes opened wide, and she sat up. "What?!"

"Please, calm down. Everything will be alright. I'm going to put some rubbing alcohol over the wound so that it doesn't get infected. It will sting, but only for a few moments."

Hikari sat back down, and watched him pull out a cotton swab, and soak it. 

"So, what's you're name?" he asked.

"My name is… H- My name is Kari." she told him.

He nodded, and put the swab on the cut.

Her eyes widened with pain, "OW!"

"I told you it would hurt." he said as-a-matter-of-factly. 

Finally, he was finished. He looked at it once more.

"You're lucky. The shooter has very bad aim, and he didn't hit anything vital. It was a good thing that you were facing the way you were, or he could have hit you clean in the heart."

She nodded.

"By the way, what were you doing by the rebel base anyways?"

She knew she'd have to think of something, fast. She also had to give him a reason as to why she was being shot. "Well, I'm a wanderer. I ran away from an orphanage when I was young. You see, my parents were killed in a bad car accident. I had on older brother too, but he was shot by the rebels. They don't like us very much. I think they also had something to do with my parent's death."

"That's horrible. Why are they after you though?"

"Because my parents used to work for one of them. They weren't rebels themselves, but neither were they reformists. Their friends and colleagues all wanted them to come along with them, but they didn't exactly agree with some of the things they were doing. 

"Anyways, I'm not quite sure how it happened; I just know that they stumbled upon some information. They found out who the leader was, and they didn't like that very much. Not even some of the rebels themselves know their leader. There was some other stuff too, but it was a long time ago. 

"So, my parents end up dead and my brother and I are stuck in an orphanage. One day, my brother and I decided that we'd had enough of that life, so we ran off. We lived on the streets for a while, and went from town to town. The rebels had been searching for us, in fear that we had some of the information. They killed my brother, and now they're after me."

Joe nodded. "I see. Do you have any information on them?"

Hikari hesitated. She knew that her brother as listening in, and if she said something, it could mean big trouble for her.

"I-I'm not sure…"

He looked at her quizzically.

If there was one talent she could be proud of, it was the talent of being able to make herself cry. All she had to do was think of a certain thing, and the tears would break loose. She began to sob.

"I-I, It's just that they've threatened me so many times, and I'm scared…"

He placed a hand on her good shoulder. "There, there, it's alright. You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable. You've been through a lot, and I wouldn't want to put any more pressure on you. We'll give it time."

She nodded.

He put some polyspourne on it, and bandaged it. He also wrapped up the whole shoulder.

"Now, I have to go talk to the Commander, but I'll be back."

She nodded, and he left the room, closing the door. Hikari waited a while before pulling out the listening device.

"Clear", she said softly. 

*Well done, my dear sister!* said Tai from the other end. 

"What am I supposed to say? I need to give them something, or they'll know I'm a fake."

*Tell them that we're planning something big, and that we've got some sort of secret weapon. Tell them that you were just on your way of seeing what it was, but a look out spotted you.*

"Fine."

*Now, how far are you from us?*

"Maybe a half hour on a motorcycle."

*Okay. You're doing well so far, don't fail me now.*

"I have to go, they're coming back."

*Bye.*

She shoved it back in her pocket, and sat up. Four men came through the door. She looked at them all. She recognized only one, but she knew the voices of the others. They were the ones who had initially found her.

"Well it's good to see that you're awake." the taller of the two blondes said.

She smiled weakly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Joe.

"It still hurts…"

"As it will for a while. Don't use it too much, and you'll be fine."

Hikari nodded.

"These are the men who found you when you got shot. It's a good thing too. This one here is Ken, this is Takeru, and the other is his older brother Yamato. Yamato is our leader and commander."

They all nodded a greeting.

"This, men, is Kari."

"It's good to have you along", the one he introduced as Yamato said. "Are you able to walk?"

"I think so", she replied. 

Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she placed them on the floor. Slowly she put weight on them, and stood up.

"If you'll come with me, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

She nodded, and followed him. The other two men came as well. Joe left the room too, but didn't go with them.

When they reached the room, Hikari was expecting a ratty, bug infested room. It's what someone would have gotten if her brother had anything to say about it, if they were lucky. She was shocked to see that it was a fully furnished room, and the furniture wasn't too shabby. It even had an adjacent bathroom.

"This is the only room we can spare, sorry if it's small." Yamato told her.

"No, it's perfectly fine." she said, genuinely surprised. 

He smiled. "Good."

Takeru stepped in timidly, "If you uh, need anything…don't be hesitant to um, ask, okay?"

She nodded lightly.

"We'll be going now. In the morning, one of the girls will come and check on you in a few minutes. They'll probably tell you a few things. As for us, we're going to bed."

Hikari closed the door as they left.

~*~

When they were further down the hall, Yamato stopped and looked at his brother. Ken had gone the opposite way to his own room. 

"You seem really taken by her, Takeru."

"Nah…"

Yamato looked at his brother.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"You bet it is", he replied.

"Oh."

"Goodnight, T.K."

"'Night Matt."

~*~

A soft knock was heard on her door. Hikari decided that she should get up and answer it. Sauntering over, she opened it. On the other side was an older, brown haired girl. She was carrying a rather large box. The girl smiled warmly.

"Hello, you must be Kari."

Hikari nodded.

"Sorry if I'm disturbing you, but I won't be long."

"Would you like to come in?" asked Hikari. 

"Uh, well, if it's no trouble…"

Hikari put up a smile, "No, not at all."

"Alright then."

The girl stepped in, and closed the door. Hikari walked over and sat on the bed. The other stood a little in front of her.

"By the way, my name is Mimi. Don't ask what I do around here…to tell you the truth I don't really know. I guess I just do what I'm doing now…among other things…"

Hikari listened to her babble. She seemed very bright and cheerful, even so late at night. She tuned out the rest of what she was saying, but she got caught."

"So, is that okay?" Mimi asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I must have zoned out. I'm a little tired."

Mimi smiled. "That's alright, I don't blame you. You've been through a lot. All I said was that breakfast is down the hall, to the right, then to the left. You can't miss it. There's a big sign out front that says 'Caf'. Also, I have some clothes for you." she said while dropping the box. 

Hikari nodded, "Thank you very much. I'm not sure when I'll be out, though."

"That's alright. I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Good night!" Mimi left the room.

Hikari stared at the door. She couldn't believe how cheerful these people all were. It was to the point to where it was sickening. To normal people, it would be considered hospitality, but not to her. Hospitality through her eyes was being left to live another day. These people had everything, and she began to hate them for it. 

The sound device started crackling, and she knew her brother was calling.

*Hikari?*

She picked it up, and looked at it. She decided that she didn't want to be bothered at the moment, so she put in in the drawer of the bedside table. She let out a frustrated sigh, and turned over. Thoughts ran through her head like a freight train. It was a while before she got to sleep.

~*~

When Hikari woke up, it was around nine-thirty, quarter to ten. She figured that it would be a good time to start thinking about getting up. 

Slowly, she climbed out of bed. Funny. It was the best sleep (when she did eventually find it) that she'd ever had. The bed was far more comfortable than her own. Hikari grabbed some clothes, and went over to the bathroom. 

She undressed, and came upon the bandage. She had forgotten the wound. Then, she remembered something. Wrapping herself in a towel, she went back out. There, she spotted a small container with some medical essentials in it. There was also a note. It read:

__

I figured that you were responsible enough to dress your wound on your own. It's not so bad, and I highly doubt that you want to come see me every time you need to have the dressing changed. I'm sure this will be easier for the two of us.

Joe.

Hikari brought the container into the bathroom, and rested it on the counter. She undid the bandage, and stepped into the shower.

Quickly, she showered. She went over five minutes, and sighed.

__

'This is the part where I run out of hot water.' she thought.

Surprisingly, it didn't. She began to realize how luxurious this place was compared to her own. It goes to show that the things that some take for granted can be heaven to others. 

Feeling in a better mood, she got ready. Grabbing the listening device, she headed out. 

It was twenty after ten when Hikari finally stepped into the cafeteria. At first, Hikari was surprised to see so many people in it, but then she took into the account of the layout of the area. Her home base was more like a city, and held a lot more people that this did. This was just a simple base, not really much more than that. Unlike her own home, there were no restaurants or anything of the sort, just this large cafeteria.

She looked around, and found the line. These people all seemed laid back. They were chatting freely with each other, something no one would do at home. Some even stopped to talk to her. Hikari was taken aback by the whole thing, as the culture was so much more different. 

Grabbing her food, she looked around for a place by herself. 

She didn't stay that way for long. 

"Mind if I sit here?" a male voice asked her. She looked up to see a familiar face. It was one of the men that had found her. 

"Uh, sure." she replied hesitantly. 

He took the seat across from her.

"Kari, right?" he asked.

She nodded, not looking up. 

"So, uh, how are you this morning? Like, how's your shoulder."

"It's fine." she said absently. She really didn't want to be talking to him right now. Mostly because she was worried that there was more to this than him just being nice. At home, when you were a stranger and a local started talking to you, it meant something.

Hikari looked up at him. "So what is it that you want?"

"Huh?" he looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if you're talking to me, it means that you want something form me. So, what is it?"

"Uh…I just wanted to see how you were doing this morning." he said.

She was silent.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Is that so wrong?"

She blushed and stared at her food. "I guess not. She whispered."

There was silence between them. Hikari focused on her food, and didn't look at him. He watched her, and ate his own. Occasionally, he would talk to someone passing by. Soon, he started to clean up.

"Sorry, but I have to report up to headquarters. I'll see you later." He smiled.

She looked up. "Wait."

He stopped.

"You, You're Takeru, right?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yep, you got it right."

He turned and walked away, leaving her to finish on her own.

~*~

After breakfast, Hikari put her things away in the designated area, and took a walk. She figured that she would get to know the place, and it would also give her some time to think. She had realized that these people were genuinely nice. They gave her everything she needed, and treated her like one of their own, and they didn't want anything in return. She was beginning to realize how bad her life really was. These people had everything they'd ever want. They had friends, and didn't always have to check over their shoulders to see if someone was watching them. There was a safe feeling here, something she didn't get at home.

The only reason she was respected was because of who her brother was. If he wasn't the leader of the rebels, she would be like anyone else. Suddenly, her life became complicated and confusing. Ever since her parents had died, things had gotten into a mess. They had been significant leaders in the society, and well respected. When they were assassinated, things got out of control. Her once kind and compassionate brother became a person of rage. He wanted to get revenge on his parents death. He didn't have to become the rebel leader, but he did.

Though the battles and disagreements between the two parties had been going on for a while, hardly ever was there any bloodshed. Now, it was a commonplace. Her brother had turned a somewhat 'peaceful' battle into a full out war. Ever since that day he came into power, there were people dying left and right. Even battles between her own people had happened. 

She also realized that she only got respect because of the fear the others had of her brother. Without him, she would be nothing.

While she was walking, someone stopped her.

"Why, hello Kari. It's good to see you up and about." 

Hikari looked up. It was Mimi and the doctor, except he was out of uniform.

She gave a weak smile.

"Are you alright?" Mimi asked. 

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Well, that's perfectly legal, the last time I checked anyway." she joked. "Joe and I were just taking a walk, would you like us to show you the way outside?"

"Uh, sure, that would be great." Now she could see the surrounding area, and help her brother find the place.

"Okay then, come with us."

Hikari followed the couple to the outside. It was well into the afternoon now, and the sun was out in its full glory. 

~*~

"Well, here it is. We just came out of the West entrance. There are four wings in the base. You're in the west, but more towards the south end. The main tower is found down in the north part. As you can see, most of the base is underground, to prevent anyone from seeing us. It's a good tactic, really." Joe told her.

"Alright, thank you very much. I guess I'll just stay over here for a while."

Mimi smiled. "Okay. You can ask anyone for help if need be."

Hikari nodded, and she watched as the couple walked off, hand in hand.

~*~

Hikari stayed out for a while. She looked over the area, looking for any landmarks that would lead her brother here. She found some, and pulled out the communication device. 

"Tai?"

*Oh, hi. What are you doing?*

"I'm outside."

*good.*

"The base is just on the other side of the forest." she felt a pang of guilt as she said this.

*Excellent! Anything else?*

She supposed that she should tell him that it was all underground. It would be vital information to him. "No."

*Alright, we'll work with that.*

"Taichi?"

*Yeah?*

"When are you coming for me?"

*Five days. See if you can find out anything else.*

"Okay, I will."

*Good. Bye.*

She put it back. She stared sadly out into the forest, knowing full well what she had done. The place had taken a toll on her, as did the people, but she was on a mission and she had to fulfil it. There was no stopping it now.

Someone came up behind her.

"Hey."

She turned around. 

"Hi." It was that boy, Takeru. He seemed to pop up everywhere.

"I got this for you." he handed her a bottle of water.

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"Because it's a hot day, and I thought that you might be thirsty."

"Thanks." she took it. The truth was, that she _was _really thirsty.

"I have to go now, I'm an guard duty. We can't have any rebels spying on us or anything like that." he smiled while saying this. "We almost got 'em beat. Then maybe we can live our lives normally again. That goes for you too. Isn't it great?"

"Yeah, it's great."

He looked at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's perfect."

He nodded, and left.

"And that's the problem…" she whispered to herself.


	3. A Turn of Events

Angel of Light: This is just a notice. I find that my pen name is too common and unoriginal.

Cody: It took you _that _long to figure it out?

Angel of Light: Well…I knew I wouldn't be the first to use it, but it's sort of an insider thing…you know how those work. So, I will be changing my name. Don't worry, nothing else will change. You might not recognize it at first, but the same stories will all still be there.

Cody: What'll it be?

Angel of Light: I haven't decided that yet…

The next morning, Hikari found herself in the same situation as the day before. The boy Takeru had come once again to sit with her. She still couldn't figure out why he would, but it was better than being alone. 

"So, you got any siblings?" he asked her.

"Yes. I have an older brother."

"Oh. Were he now?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure," she lied. She felt uneasy doing so. "I haven't seen him for a while." Her face saddened. "He's become a whole different person since my parents died." This, was true. 

"I see. How has he changed?" Hikari didn't like the questions, but he seemed innocent enough. She didn't think that he was doing this for any particular reason, but for his own curiosity.

"Well, he's become more…secluded. Get on his bad side and it's bad news for you. Even if you're on his good side, you have to be careful. He wants to get revenge on the ones who killed my parents, but it's gotten out of control. He's become a monster. Even I'm scared of him."

Takeru saw the sincerity in her eyes. He guessed that she wasn't telling the truth _all _the time, but he figured that she had her reasons. He didn't want to press the issue any further, as he sae that he had hit a soft spot. 

Takeru had hit a soft spot. It was confusing for the girl, for never in her life had she been able to talk to someone so freely before. She felt like she could tell him everything, though she knew she couldn't. Still, there was something about him that struck her like no one ever had. 

"Say, uh, it's my day off tomorrow, and I was just wondering…"

Hikari looked up at him. He diverted his gaze over to the people in line. He looked back, but had trouble looking in her eyes.

"If you're not doing anything, I mean, I know how boring it can be all by yourself…"

Hikari had to smile. She knew what he was asking, but wasn't going to let him know that. The fact that he was so nervous about it as a little flustering to her, but she decided just to shrug it off. She waited for him to finish.

"Maybe, well, I know that you're kind of new here, and you don't really know your way around, so maybe I could show you the ropes…only of you want, though. It's not like it really makes a difference in my day at all or anything. It's just that I thought that you'd like to-"

She cut him off, laughing. "It's fine, I'd love for you to show me around."

His whole face lit up. "Really?"

"Yes!" she said, still laughing lightly. 

He smiled, then hid it. "Ahem, well. I guess I'll meet you back here at the same time, then. As for right now, I have to go. I'm in the control tower today. I get the radar station. We monitor ever movement from there. With the technology we have, there's no way any rebels could ever sneak up on us. Well, I'll see you later, then. Bye."

He got up and left.

Hikari smiled lightly, and finished her food. Once again, her life became even more confusing. 

~*~

Fed up with just sitting in her room and doing absolutely nothing, Hikari went outside. She found a nice, shaded spot on the other side of a hill. It was also secluded, so no one would bother her. It's just what she wanted. 

Lying down on the grass, she tried to forget all her worries, but with no avail. Her brother and his troops would be coming in four days. They would ambush them, and it would be all over. 

The longer she stayed her and the more she thought about it, the more she didn't want to leave. This place was everything she'd ever wanted. It was calm, not too big, and the people weren't all that bad. They were hospitable, even to a stranger. Now, she found that her own home was too busy and crowded for her taste. 

Thinking about home, she remembered Meeko, her pet cat.

__

'I swear, Tai had better be feeding him…' she thought.

Her face saddened as her thoughts turned back to what would be happening in the next few days. They would all be dead. Mimi, Joe, Yamato, and …Takeru.

A ray of hope came to her as she remembered something. Takeru had told her that they had a radar system, and no one could get passed it without being detected. This meant that her brother wouldn't be able to sneak up on them. All she had to do was refrain from telling him.

A crackling sound from her pocket crushed all hoped of that. She had forgotten that she had the thing with her. Tai had heard her conversation with Takeru, and she knew that he had the technology to counter the radar systems. They would be masked from the signal. 

*Hikari?*

Reluctantly, she pulled it out. "Yes?"

*Good, you're there. I just wanted to say that it's a brilliant idea to become close like that with one of them. Get them to like you; it'll make a big difference. Also, I'm glad that you have this with you at all times. That information on the radar signal was vital.*

She did not reply.

*Hikari?*

"What?" she said flatly.

*What's the matter?*

"Nothing." she replied with the same tone. 

*I know something's up. Now, what is it?*

She sighed, "I, it's just, do we really need to do this?"

*Do what?*

"Kill them all?"

*Of course.*

"Why?"

*Because they killed Mom and Dad. They made our lives miserable. They took everything we'd ever had. We have nothing left because of them.*

"And that's why you're a millionaire, married, and the leader of a feared organisation." she said sarcastically. 

*We would have better lives if they didn't kill them.*

"But it was just a few of them! This is an entirely new generation of people. It's not like they had any say in the matter."

*Still, they did it. They need to be dealt with.*

"Why not just the ones that killed Mom and Dad?"

*I'm beginning to sense that you want to stay with them, Hikari.*

She was silent.

*Hikari! You were sent there to carry out a mission. You will not fail it now.*

"But Taichi! The people here are so nice to me, even though I'm a stranger. I don't know if I can let them die at my own hands!"

*It's a price you'll have to pay. Besides, do they know who you _really _are?*

She said nothing.

*That's what I thought. If they knew who you were, then they wouldn't be so nice to you. Keep that in mind.*

Hikari was sick of talking to him. "I never even wanted to do this in the first place!" she yelled at him. Angry and frustrated, she threw the device at the tree. She then stomped on it, and scattered the broken pieces into the nearby forest. She sat down and began to cry.

~*~

"Shoot!" yelled an angry Taichi as he slammed his fist on the table.

Sora poked her head in the door. "What is it?"

He looked at her. "I lost her."

"What? They found her out?" she asked, surprised.

"No. She likes them too much. I'm afraid she'll give them information. We're going in a day early, just to be safe."

"What?"

"You heard me. Send out a message to the others. I'm going to teach Hikari a little lesson in what happens when you double-cross me."

"But, she's your sister!" Sora exclaimed.

"I won't hurt her physically. She's become attached to them. It seems to this with this one boy in particular."

~*~

For an hour she sat there, angry at her brother. Her two sides were arguing. One was with her brother, one was against. 

__

'How could he do this!? I mean, these people are so nice, and what about…Takeru? There's something about him…But if he knew who I was, he'd hate me. They all would. Why not just get it over with? I mean, once their dead it's not like they can get mad at me. But, what about the looks on their faces when they realize? I'll have to live with the pain and guilt of this forever. But, I'm on a mission. Tai's right. They killed my parents, and they have to pay! But…'

"Argh!" she screamed out loud. 

Sick of doing this, she went back inside.

It was around lunch time, so she went to get some food. She didn't see Takeru anywhere, so she grabbed something and went back to her room. That's where she spent the rest of her afternoon. She only emerged again for supper. After that, he wandered through the halls, only to find herself back by her room. She figured she may as well pack it in for the night.

~*~

Takeru was worried. He had seen her by the tree line crying, but was hesitant to say anything. He figured that she needed some time to herself, so he left her alone. He had also seen her wandering the halls, but that was just as she passed his station. Troubled, he went to sleep.

~*~

Once again, Hikari found herself sitting across from Takeru at breakfast. 

"Do you need to do anything when you're finished?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope." She was trying to sound cheerful.

"Alright then."

The two finished their meal, and put their things away. Hikari turned to Takeru for directions as to what they were doing next.

"Well, I guess I'll show you around. I guess the control tower would be a good place to start."

Hikari nodded. 

~*~

The rest of the day went a lot better than Hikari had expected. Takeru had shown her around the place, and even let her run a few things. She had to admit that she was having one of the best times in her life, which just shows how exciting her life really is…

~*~

At the end of the day, they ended up outside. The sun was setting, painting the sky a rainbow of colours. Hikari had never watched one before, and was awed by it. She'd seen them, but never actually taken the time to really look at them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." he remarked. But he wasn't looking at the sunset.

"Yeah, it is."

She noticed that he was watching her, and she felt uneasy. Takeru noticed this.

"Is everything alright?"

She turned and smiled. "Yeah, it's fine."

He looked at her, concerned. "I know something's wrong. I saw you crying yesterday."

Hikari looked at him. Was that all he had seen? She hoped so. She sighed. "I'm just confused, that's all." She didn't like lying to him, so she told him as much truth as she could. 

He nodded, not buying it. Takeru didn't press the issue.

"I, I just wanted to thank you for today, it was a lot better than I expected it to be. Actually, it was the best time I've had in a while. It's not very often that I get to be myself."

He smiled. "The pleasure is all mine."

The two stood, gazing into each other's eyes. Hikari felt herself being drawn to him, as if there were some invisible force pulling them together. This sent her into a panic. She couldn't do it. She knew what was going to happen. She knew what he was going to do.

Just as their lips were about to touch, she turned away. Takeru was concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked, worried.

Tears formed in her eyes. "I-I can't do this," she choked. 

He was confused. "Can't do what?"

"Anything!" She responded as she turned and ran. She ran to her room, and didn't look back. She knew she had hurt him, but it would save him from further pain later. She couldn't do it; she couldn't let herself fall even more for him. She was already in too deep, and she knew it.

Hikari closed her door, and locked it. She sobbed into her pillow, not knowing what to do. She couldn't go to breakfast, she couldn't face him. She definitively couldn't let him fall any more in love with her. She would be the one that would have to live with the pain of a broken heart, not him. 

Something occurred to her, and she stopped crying. She didn't _have _to live with the pain. She didn't _have _to watch her new friends die. She didn't _have _to hear their desperate cries for mercy as they were put to death, at her hands. No, Hikari would have none of that. Her brother could do what he wanted, but she wasn't going to watch him do it. 

Searching her room, Hikari found what she was looking for. They would never know who she was. She quickly and quietly left her room, and closed the door. Making her way outside, she stole through the hallways like a thief of the night. Really, she was, for she was about to take something that was dear to a lot of people, more than she would ever know. 

At last, Hikari reached her destination. It was the place where she had had the argument with her brother, and smashed the only piece of communication that she had with him. She saw small remains of it, but paid them no mind. Hikari sat down on the other side of a rock, and began her work.

Bringing the blade up to her wrists and with tears in her eyes, Hikari began to slit away at her flesh. She was scared at first, but she realized how much it didn't really hurt. She didn't feel the pain that she should have. Maybe it was because she was so determined that she numbed out all pain. She watched blankly as the blood began to trickle out. It was slow at first, but as she cut deeper, the flow became faster. She started on the other arm. This one was harder, as her arm was weak and tired. Now she was beginning to feel a bit of pain. 

The things around her became fuzzy, but she went on. She was so engrossed in what she was doing, that she didn't hear the person coming up behind her.

~*~

Takeru was taking a walk. He hadn't gone in after the incident. He was confused. He had thought that she liked him. There was nothing that indicated that she didn't, but then again, maybe he had been too fast. Maybe he had scared her. He kicked himself. He hoped that everything would be alright for breakfast the next morning. He hoped that she would pay no mind to the events of that night, that she would forget about it. He hoped that in the morning, he'd be alright.

~*~

Frustrated and confused, Takeru headed back to his room. Just before entering, he noticed something. There was a soft sobbing noise coming from the other side of a rock. Curious, he went around, and saw her. She had tears in her eyes. He was saddened because he thought that he had really hurt her, until he noticed something.

Hikari wasn't looking up. She was concentrating on something. Her arm! Takeru looked down, and was horrified at what he saw. There was a rover of blood flowing from her arms, and she held a knife in one hand.

"Hikari!" he exclaimed, and ran over to her.

He picked her up, and cradled her head in his arms. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh Takeru! I-I can't do this! Please, leave me here!" she said between sobs.

"NO! Why would I want to do that?"

"Because if you knew who I was, and what I am doing, then you'd kill me yourself." she told him, still sobbing.

"What are you talking about? I'd never do that to you!"

"But you'd kill a rebel if they snuck onto your base, right?"

"Well, I guess, but what does that have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me! Kill me now!"

"What? No, Hikari, you can't…"

"Yes! I'm a rebel spy! Not only that, but my brother is the rebel leader, the bigwig, the head-hauncho. I was sent as a spy, to gather information. I've been communicating with him through a device that he gave me. He can hear what you guys are saying through it. He's coming in two days to destroy you all. I didn't tell him that it was underground, though. And a word of warning, you won't be able to detect him with radar. Send out some troops tomorrow as lookouts, just in case…" she looked up at him. "I am so sorry…" She began to feel light-headed. Soon, everything went black.

"HIKARI! NO!"


	4. The Truth

Cody: So, why Calmer of the Storm?

Angel of Light: Because it's my favourite song. It's by a group called Downhere. They're Canadian too.=)

Cody: But you're still using Angel of Light.

Angel of Light: It's a trademark…an insider…that sort of thing…

Cody: I see. Well, anyways, here's the fic!

Takeru paced anxiously up and down the hall, in front of Joe's office. He had brought Hikari there after she had passed out. His mind was filled with many thoughts. He was thinking back to what she had told him. She was a spy. She was the enemy. She was out to have him killed, yet she told him. Spies don't tell those whom they are spying on, that they're spying on them. This confused him greatly. 

But the first thing on his mind, was how she was doing. He hoped with everything he had that she would be alright. For the first time, he had found someone that he actually cared about, and she was dying. She had tried to kill herself. 

After what seemed like an eternity had passed, the door slowly opened. Joe came out.

Joe was a young man, older than Takeru, but still young. Though, his works at the base had aged him. He looked a lot older than he really was. The endless nights working with dying soldiers had taken its toll on him. That night, he looked even older, as it was late and he had been brutally woken up. 

Takeru stopped and looked up at the doctor. He waited for a response.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but I think you might have reached her in time. It's hard to tell at this point, though. I've managed to stop the bleeding, but she can't take the bandages off unless I'm there. The cuts are deep, and it won't take much for them to re-open. It'll take a few days for them to heal so that she can use her arms a little more freely, but it could take weeks for them to heal completely." Joe told him.

Takeru nodded, aching to see her.

"I know you want to see her, but she needs rest. I think that we should leave her alone for a while."

The boy's eyes went wide. "No! We can't leave her alone."

The Doctor was confused. "Why not?"

"Be-because…well, she tried to commit suicide, right? Well, she must have had a good reason for doing it, right? What if she tries to do it again?"

Joe looked at the younger man. "What do you know that I don't?"

Takeru fidgeted nervously. "Nothing."

Joe raised an eyebrow, "You're a horrible liar, kid."

He lowered his head. "Not anything that I have the place in telling you."

The doctor sighed, and nodded. "Alright. You can use the other bed, across the room. I'll send your brother in in the morning, and you can tell _him_ what you know." His tone was serious. 

The blonde nodded, knowing he couldn't win that one.

"Goodnight, then." Joe turned, and retreated to his cabin.

Takeru watched him disappear, then turned and entered the 'hospital' room. He looked at the sleeping girl on the bed. He walked over, and just watched her. Her brunette locks were fanned out over the white pillow. Her arms were bandaged heavily, and were resting at her sides. Her face had been drained of all colour, as did the rest of her. She was a ghostly white. 

He felt bad for her. She had been torn apart. He wasn't sure exactly by what, but he knew something was eating at her. She wouldn't have done this if there wasn't. She was the enemy, but she wasn't like any of the rebels he had met. They were cruel, and would stop at nothing to kill. They didn't let anything get in their way, and would destroy anything that did. Takeru remembered something. His brother would be coming in the morning. When he found out, he would surely have her killed. His brother wasn't merciless, but hated the rebels and what they had done. But, he had no choice. 

Sighing, he went to the bed across the room. Pulling back the white sheets, he climbed in. It was then he realized that he was still wearing his normal clothes, but it didn't matter. He lay down, still watching the girl. It was a while before he could even think about sleeping.

~*~

Takeru woke the next morning to see Joe and Yamato looking at Hikari. He could here them talking, but couldn't make out the words. He groaned lightly, and the two looked over.

"Good, you're awake." stated Matt. 

Takeru sat up, nodded.

His brother walked over. "I hear from Joe that you have some important information for me."

Takeru hung his head sadly, and nodded. 

"Let's hear it, then." 

"Geez, let me wake up first."

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

It took the younger blonde a while to get out of bed. He really wasn't looking forward to telling his brother the truth. Finally, he forced himself up. 

"Can I at least have breakfast first? It's hard to think on an empty stomach." Takeru was stalling. He didn't want to tell Yamato, or anyone else for that matter. 

Frustrated, Matt greed. "Fine, but make it quick. I don't have all day."

Takeru nodded, and stood up, taking one quick glance at her before he left the room.

"So, what do you think he has to say?" Matt asked Joe.

"I wouldn't know, but my guess it's about something as to who she really is."

"Why do you say that? She's told us."

"Yes, but she's a girl of many mysteries. I'm usually pretty good to know when people are lying. She's been doing that most of the time. I didn't say anything because there's just something about her that gets me, in a good way, yet there's that inkling feeling that she's bad news."

Yamato nodded, "But she seems so innocent. I know what Takeru meant. She _does _look like she's been through a lot. Who knows, maybe he's going to tell us a good thing about her."

"Not by the way he's acting. He wants to avoid telling us as long as possible. If it was good, he'd have told us right away." contradicted Joe.

The leader sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

The two of them looked back over at the sleeping girl, and stayed silent for a while. Both were thinking of what news Takeru was going to tell them. 

Soon, the younger blonde came through the door. He closed it gently, and stood with his back against it. He glanced over at the girl, and sighed deeply. 

"Well?" Yamato prodded.

"Well…it's Hikari…she…she's…"

"She's what?! Stop it Takeru! It's not like she's out to kill us all, now spill!"

Takeru looked at his brother, not saying anything.

"What?"

He looked back down. "She's a rebel, Yamato. Her brother is Taichi Yagami."

"The rebel _leader_?"

He nodded.

"Well, then I guess we have no choice."

"No! Yamato, please. She…she told me everything. Why do you think she did this to herself? She said that her brother was coming…tomorrow. But she also advised to put out some lookouts today. She said that she gave us some good information on them. Please…"

Yamato looked at his brother. "Takeru, she's a spy. She wants us all dead!"

"But she's different! She told me some things, and I know that she meant them. She's been through a lot, Yamato, more than you or I could ever understand. She even gave me the reason _why _they're attacking us."

"Oh?"

"Well, I think it had something to do with their parents being killed. At least, that's what I gather. She didn't give me exact details, but she told me that her brother became a whole different person when they died. She said that even she's afraid of him."

Joe stepped in, "She told me that her parents were killed in a car accident, and that the rebels killed her brother. Obviously she was lying, but, how do you know that she wasn't lying to you too?" 

"Because I could see it in her eyes. I knew she wasn't telling me the whole story, but what she did tell me, was the truth. I can't explain it; you'll just have to take my word for it."

A soft moan caught their attention. He three men turned to the sleeping girl, who was now starting to wake up.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at them. Immediately, she looked away. 

"Kari…." Takeru said, looking at her sadly.

"It's alright, you had no choice. You shouldn't have brought me here, though." she whispered.

"But I couldn't just leave you out there, to die." he replied.

"So you brought me here, just to have me killed anyway?" She said, slightly hurt.

"No…no…we won't kill you, at least, I won't let them." He said the last part with slight more boldness.

The girl didn't respond. 

Yamato sighed, "Kari…we won't kill you. I realize that you're feeling guilty at this point, and I also realize that you, and only you, have the information that can save us, and help us win this war."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. "Yes, I do have the information. I could tell you everything. I could tell you exact numbers, formation, attack patterns, secret codes. I could give you the names of significant leaders, and their weaknesses too. But, then I'd be betraying my brother. As ruthless as he is, I still love him. He's the only family that I have left. I know you hate him, but I can't let you hurt him."

Yamato leaned back in his chair, and sighed. "This is what I was afraid of."

"Matt, you can't blame her. I'm sure her brother is a really nice guy…I'm sure he'd negotiate, right?" Takeru said, with slight hope.

"Maybe. He's probably mad enough to kill me at this point though, so I don't know. Like I told you before, double cross him and it'll be the last thing you do. And that's exactly what I did to him. He trusted me, and I betrayed him." She paused, "But then again, you trusted me, and I betrayed you…"

No one made a comment.

Finally, Yamato spoke up. "So, you're sure he won't just talk? I mean, I might be willing to…"

She looked at him. "This is a war. If he wanted to 'just talk' he would have done it a long time ago. But, maybe there is something I can do. If I know my brother well enough, which I do, he'll be coming today. He hates it when the enemy has the upper hand. I'll go out. They'll come during midday, when everyone's on lunch break. I know it sounds odd, but trust me, it works. I'll go into the forest, and maybe I can talk to him. Don't send anyone after me. He will kill anyone he sees."

"Wouldn't that go for you too?" Takeru asked with concern.

"I guess we'll just have to hope that he recognizes me before he kills me. But, it's a risk I'll take. I've already done enough to you; it's only fair that I do this."

Matt nodded, and stood up. "Alright then, that's what we'll do. I'll but the base on lock down. You'll go out, I don't know, whenever you think is best. If everything turns out fine, you come back with your brother, and _only _your brother. If anyone else comes, we will shoot on sight. Is that clear?"

She nodded, looking at the wall.

"Good. Now, I have to go. I guess I'll be seeing you later, then." He turned, and left.

"I'm afraid I must be going too. I've got lots of paper work to do." Joe bowed his head, and left.

The room was silent. Hikari could feel the burning eyes of Takeru upon her, but she couldn't turn to face him.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" he asked.

"Do what?" She replied, pretending not to know.

"Try to kill yourself."

"Because I couldn't watch you all die. I couldn't watch the looks on your faces as you came to the realization as to who I really was. I couldn't watch you all die at my hands, after what you had all shown me. This place is so much different than home. The people smile at you when you pass, even if you don't know them. This may not seem like a big thing, but it is for me. At home, strangers don't talk to each other, and if they do, it's because they want something. If you get in someone's way, they yell and curse at you. If you walk in on someone and they're busy and don't want to be bothered, you get shot. That's just the way of things. People are always getting mugged, shot, raped, and stabbed left right and centre. It's a horrible way to live.

"On the other hand, I couldn't watch my brother get killed. I know he's a killer, but he's my brother. I'll admit, I've killed a few too, but that's only started to affect me now. I have friends on both sides now, and I'm caught in the middle. I feel so helpless. So, that's why I did it, because I didn't want to face the consequences."

Takeru was silent, taking it all in.

"I know what you're probably thinking right now. I know I'm a coward, but I didn't know what else to do."

He shook his head, "No, I don't think that. Actually, I think the complete opposite. You were very brave to tell me this. Especially before. Sure, it hurt, but I know that you're sorry for it."

She only continued to stare at the wall.

"And, to tell you the truth, I'm glad you came to spy on us."

This made her turn, "Why?"

Takeru opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. His face began turning a rather bright hue of red, as he lowered his head. "W-well, uh…gee, I um…"

She sat up. "What?" Hikari was confused. She'd never seen anyone act like this before, and she wondered why he was acting this way. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" 

He looked up, "No no! You didn't do anything wrong! It's just that I…."

"You…what?"

"I think that I-"

At that moment, Yamato burst through the door. He didn't notice the state of his brother, and in fact didn't even acknowledge that he was even there. Instead, he turned right to Hikari.

"Kari, some scouts of mine have spotted a group of people heading this way. Don't worry, they're all gone now, but I suggest that you get out there, and fast."

She nodded, and got out of the bed. Her arms were still very weak, weaker than she had expected. It felt weird for her to walk again, but she overcame that. Carefully, she made her way to the door. Before leaving, she turned back to Takeru, who was still blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry about this, but whatever it is will have to wait. I…I hope that's alright…"

He looked up, and smiled. "Oh, don't worry, it's okay. Really."

She nodded, and left.

After the door had closed, Takeru collapsed into a chair, and let out a deep breath. His heart raced, so fast that it would put the fastest of race horses to the test. He sat there for a while, thinking about everything, and yet also about nothing. It was a while before he could actually get himself out of the chair.

~*~

Hikari walked out of the base. She knew that the others were watching her, and counting on her. She also knew that the life of her brother depended on the outcome of this. She walked into the forest, and hoped that she would meet her brother before anyone had any time to shoot. She knew that he'd be mad, but she hoped that she could curb his anger. She was one of the few people that could. 

Every little noise caught her attention. She heard twigs snap, which sent her shooting out of her skin. Slowly, she continued waking.

~*~

Back at the base, Takeru stood aside his brother. They weren't outside, but they were at one of the main posts. They could see and hear everything around them. Even though it was still early, Takeru's eyes darted back and forth, looking for any sign of Hikari. 

"I hope she'll be okay…" Takeru thought out loud.

"Me too, Takeru, me too." his brother replied.

Just then, a shot rang through the forest.


	5. Confrontiation

Cody: *laughs* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Calmer of the Storm: *grumbles* Geez Cody, I've never seen _this _side of you before…

Cody: *keeps laughing*

Calmer of the Storm: Shut up! It wasn't that funny.

Cody: It was _hilarious!_

Calmer of the Storm: Whatever…anyways…ya! So here's the next chapter, so-

Cody: *stops laughing, and glares* Ahem.

Calmer of the Storm:….? Oh…ya. Sorry.

Cody: That's better. On with the fic! *bursts out laughing*

Calmer of the Storm:……….

Hikari stiffened and stood wide-eyed. A figure came out of the bushes. It was her brother. She relaxed, and vented her anger at him.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME, TAICH?!?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!!" she screamed.

He only smiled. "I wouldn't have hit you, I knew who you were. It was just for fun."

"FUN? YOU CALL ALMOST BLOWING THE BRAINS OUT OF YOUR LITTLE SISTER _FUN_?!" 

"I need some for of amusement in my life. Besides, I wasn't planning on hitting you."

Hikari glared at her brother dangerously. 

Taichi put the pistol back at his side, and looked at his younger sibling. His face became serious. "What do you want, or rather, what do _they _want?"

She softened up as she remembered the reason for her coming. She sighed. "Tai, you…you can't kill them." she said, getting strait to the point.

He looked rather amused by this, as if he were expecting it. "And why not?"

"Because…"

"That's not a very good reason Hikari, and you know it."

She hung her head. "Please, I know I betrayed you. I told you not to send me in the first place, but you did. I know what I did was completely against what you've ordered, but…it's just that they've been so good to me. They treated me as if I were one of their own, even though they didn't know who I was."

"And when they found out?"

"They were hesitant at first, but they've even agreed to talk to you. They said that if you came back with me, they'd be willing to negotiate something out…"

"They're using you, Hikari. They don't want to be destroyed. For all you know, they could have known the whole time. They could have taken this whole plan, and made it so that they'd gain your trust and get the information, then use you as their own weapon." he said, softening only slightly.

"No! They're not like that. Taichi, you have to get to know them, they're really nice people! If they wanted me dead after they got the information, they would have let-" she stopped mid sentence. 

Hikari was wearing long sleeves, and had her hands covered, so that her brother wouldn't see the bandages. She didn't want him to know what she had done.

He became suspicious. "They would have let what?"

She looked away. "Nothing."

"Hikari, I'm not stupid. If you're talking about them 'saving your life' then that doesn't count. That whole thing was a set up, and you know it."

Her eyes filled with tears. "You don't know the half of it, Taichi!" 

Tai was taken aback. His face softened as he watched his little sister. No matter his reputation, status, or anything else, she was his sister and he loved her dearly. After all, it was for the sake of his family that he had gotten into this whole mess. 

"Please, just don't kill them…" she pleaded between sobs. She brought her hands up to her face, forgetting about the bandages.

Taichi sighed, slightly annoyed. Hew as about to say something, when he noticed the bandages. Immediately, he became alarmed. "Hikari, what happened to your hands?!"

She realized with horror that she had carelessly allowed them to be revealed. 

"Th-they're nothing. These are just hands wraps."

Taichi didn't listen, and instead grabbed her arms. He pulled back her sleeves, and saw that they extended to her elbows.

"What did they do to you?" he asked. His voice was low and menacing.

She sniffled a little. "If you must know, it's not 'what did they do to you', it's 'what did you do to yourself'." She didn't go on, as she figured he was smart enough to figure it out on his own.

His expression became one of confusion and worry as he came to the realisation as to what she had done. "Why, Hikari? Why did you do this to yourself?"

She was surprised at the softness in his voice. Not since her parents had dies, had she heard such a tone. It seemed almost weird to hear her brother speak in this way. 

More tears threatened to come, but she held them back.

"Because I saw what nice people they were. Even at home, no one treated me so well. They were so nice to me, and they trusted me completely. They gave me everything that I asked for, and asked for nothing in return. I couldn't stand there and watch them die at my own hands. I couldn't handle hearing their dying cries as they looked at me and asked me why I had done it. On the other hand, I couldn't watch my friends; I couldn't handle the thought of losing you."

"Hikari…" Tai sighed as he looked at his sister. He realized that she must really care for these people. But, that didn't erase or make up for what they had done. In his mind, Taichi debated as to what he would do. He finally decided that he would have nothing to lose if he went with her and talked. He would tell his men to stay hidden in the trees, and await his signal. 

"Alright, I'll come with you."

She looked up, "Y-you will?"

He nodded, "Yes. And only because of you, not because of them."

A small smile pulled at her lips, and she hugged her brother. Hesitantly, as if it was something new to him, he hugged her back.

"You have to come alone, though. They'll shoot if anyone else comes. No exceptions." she told him.

"My men will stay hidden in the trees. They will be able to see me, if I need to give a signal. I don't care what you say, because I've already been more than nice. This _is _still a war."

Reluctantly, Hikari agreed to this. She also agreed to not telling the others about this.

Taichi signalled his men to stay hidden just on the inside of the ring of trees. "Let's go then."

He and Hikari headed off towards the underground base of the reformists.

~*~

Yamato and a very agitated Takeru awaited the outcome. They had heard the gunshot in the distance, and weren't sure what had happened. Takeru paced back and forth, worriedly glancing out the window of the post that they were in. Yamato stood, just starting at the line of trees. He assumed the worst, and waited to give the signal of attack to his men. They were already on stand-by. 

"Takeru, calm down. What's done is done, we can't change that." he said, without looking back.

"But-"

"Takeru, you have to let go. Obviously they didn't-" he stopped mid-sentence, as he spotted two figures coming towards him.

Takeru noticed them as well. "It's her! It's Hikari!" he exclaimed excitedly. 

Yamato waited a little until they were closer, and he waved his men off. On of them stepped out, to escort them in. He thought that it would be dangerous to have the meeting outside, in case they still had something planned. 

~*~

Outside, Taichi and Hikari were greeted by the guard.

"If you would please hand me your weapons, you may enter." he said.

Taichi looked at him. "No."

The guard was taken aback by this. "Then we can't let you in. I'm sorry."

Hikari looked at her brother. "Please, just give it to him."

"No." he stated once more. "I promise that I will not touch the gun at my side. I'm assuming that there will be armed guards in there as well? If you expect me to go in unarmed, then you are a fool. If you can't trust me on my word, then I'm wasting my time here."

The guard was silent. It was evident that he was uneasy and didn't know what to do. 

~*~

Seeing the situation from his post, Yamato decided to send someone out. He wasn't going to risk going out, just in case. He sent someone over to the guard, to tell him that it would be alright. He was reluctant to let the rebel leader in with the gun, but it would be better than them all being killed. Besides, there would be guards in the room. He assumed that Taichi's men were hidden all over the place, but that was expected. 

The messenger "It's fine. Let him bring it." He wearily eyed the rebels, then hurriedly turned ad left. 

Taichi looked back at the guard, who sighed reluctantly. "Follow me."

He led them through a series of corridors, which Hikari remembered only vaguely from her tour of the place with Takeru. Finally, they reached an immense, metal door. It was opened for them. 

On the other side, Yamato was standing by the window. Takeru was beside him, trying to look serious, but couldn't help but smile at the sight of Hikari. He looked to his feet as he caught the eye of her older brother. 

Hikari could only smile lightly to herself as this happened. 

There was tension in the air as the two leaders locked eyes. Hikari became uneasy as she wasn't sure what the outcome of this meeting would be like. 

Yamato just looked at the rebel leader. He was around his age, but looked a lot older. He bore the scars of many battles. His face was hard as rock, and emotionless. It wasn't hard to believe that someone such as him could be so ruthless. In a complete contrast to his rough features, was his hair. It was wild, and stuck out in all places. 

There was also a remarkable resemblance between him and his sister. They both had the same chocolate brown hair, only Hikari's was tamer. They both had the same fine features, the difference being that she was more delicate. The biggest difference was in there eyes. Hers were a softer brown, with a tinge on ruby to them. His were brown, and almost black. They were cold and hard. The one similarity about them was the hurt that they carried in them. It was evident that there had been much pain in their past, and both siblings handled the pain differently.

"I guess I have to thank you for coming, Taichi." Yamato started.

"Don't. It's only because of my sister that I'm here. You're very lucky I have a soft spot for her. If I didn't, you'd all be dead." the rebel responded.

Yamato was about to reply with a sarcastic response, but figured it best not to, as he figured it would be best not to light his short fuse. 

"Um, well, I guess you should have a seat. My men will do nothing unless you make the first move."

Taichi just looked at him, but sat down. Hikari took the place at his side. Yamato took one across from Tai, and Takeru took the other across from Hikari, of course. 

"So, I've been informed that you've sent your sister here as a spy to give you information on us, so that you may attack us and wipe us out completely." Yamato stated.

Taichi looked at his sister. It was a glare, just a look, but she still shrank underneath his glare. "That is correct." he responded finally.

"I must admit, you had us going. No one suspected her at all. If she hadn't of…done what she did, you would have had us all." Yamato continued. 

Taichi listened, but didn't respond.

"I'm assuming that you'd rather not lose any of your men, then to fight. I'd much rather to come to some agreement than to spill blood over this whole thing. I don't want any more lives lost over something that doesn't even affect us directly. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure the cause of this whole thing."

"Then you obviously haven't been studying your history." Taichi said curtly. 

The blonde looked at him.

"The war was started not by us rebels, but by you. We were a happy people, though we have always been rebels. It was fine, because we had negotiated with the reformists, and we had come to some terms of agreement. You would leave us alone, and we would leave you alone. 

"However, you sent in some spies one day, and decided that we were getting too numerous and too powerful. You had to be the ruling party in this area, so you began to pick us off. One by one at first, but then it got bigger. It caused mass confusion in our neighbourhoods, as a person would leave for work in the morning, and then never return. We began to ask questions, and you didn't like it. Our scientists had been working on some very powerful weapons, and you saw that as a threat. We were willing to share tem with you, but you refused. The reformists had to be superior to everyone and everything. No one was allowed to stand as equals with you.

"So finally, we decided that we'd had enough of this. We didn't like being pushed around and bullied, so we fought back. There's more detail to it, but that's the jist of it."

Yamato sat there, taking it in. He wasn't sure if he could believe it. He knew that some of it was true, but Taichi's opinion could be biased and tainted. After all, there are always two sides to the same story.

"I've been told that you weren't born into the ranks of the rebels." Yamato said. 

"That is also correct. I was born far away from here, in a different country. We travelled, as my parents weren't people that liked to settle in one place. When I was around three years old, we found ourselves in this part. My parents were kind people, and would never pass up an opportunity to help someone. They saw the situation here, and decided to try and help. They were only two people, but they had impacted people before, and they were convinced that they could do it again.

"They stayed with the rebels, getting to know them better. When I was four, Hikari was born. The two of us grew up there. Our parents went to meetings, and negotiated with the leaders of both groups. These went on for years. 

"One day, my parents had the two of us out; I'm not sure for what reason anymore. All I know is that out of the blue, two reformists came out. My parents were confused, as they had had many chats with them in meetings and such. They held out guns, and pointed them at us. My mother told us to run, so we did. They paid no mind to us. Hikari and I hid behind some bushes, and we watched as the two men shot our parents."

Everyone was silent.

"I vowed that I would take revenge. My parent didn't deserve to die. My family didn't deserve to be torn apart. Not just mine, but others. I was tired of the tyranny of the reformists. I swore that I would do something. So, I took the position as leader. I found out that everyone else wanted to get revenge, so I constructed an army of elite men. They have served me well, and I am close to completing my task."

Yamato and Takeru exchanged glances. They weren't sure as to what he had meant by his last statement. 

Calmer of the Storm: Ack! I'm really sorry for leaving it here! Really! This time it's not just for sheer enjoyment of torturing the readers, but it's a case of serious writer's block! Ahhhhh! *calms self down* Okay…if you have any suggestions, they would be _greatly _appreciated. I'll post the next chappie as soon as I get through this!!! I promise!!!


	6. Resolutions

Calmer of the Storm: I am so sorry or not putting this up sooner. I was suffering from a severe case of writer's block (and I still am, I'm just hoping the inspiration will come as I type). I hope it doesn't suck too bad… but your opinions are always welcome! Just don't be mean and tell me off 'cause I'm a bad writer…I know that and I don't need you to tell me. Sorry if I'm coming across a little harsh, but I'm in a bad mood…long story…you don't wanna know…anyways, here's the last chapter in my fic!

Hikari shifted nervously in her seat. She exchanged a nervous glance with Takeru, whose gaze was shifting between brother and sister constantly. Yamato's stayed fixed on Taichi. 

"By killing us, you will accomplish nothing. You will only continue what has been started. Nothing will be gained." Yamato said in a low voice.

The rebel leader only smirked, "Don't think that I haven't gone through all the possibilities of that. I have some rather brilliant minds on my side, and they've gone through every possible scenario and the consequences that follow."

"Go ahead then."

"Who said I was going to kill anyone?"

Yamato said nothing. 

"I am willing to make a few negotiations, though they will be on my terms. You should be thankful that the whole plan with my sister fell through, for if it hadn't, we wouldn't be doing this. Even if it was a completely different girl, you'd all be dead."

"Why should they all be on your terms? What if I don't agree with them?" demanded Yamato, leaning towards him.

"Then we're back to square one. Like I said, I could kill you all with a wave of my hand. You have no idea how many men are out there."

Matt sank back into his chair. He looked to Hikari to see if she could be of some help, but she was busy looking at her brother. He sighed, "Alright, what are your conditions?" 

"You are to leave us alone. You are not to attack, and if you are coming on to our territory unannounced or uninvited, you risk being shot."

"Then the same goes for you on our grounds." 

"Very well. Also, you are not to meddle in our affaires, and if you have a problem with something that we are doing, you come to me about it. I don't want any trouble, understand?"

"Only if you realize that the same things will apply for us."

"Fine."

Taichi stood up. "I guess we're finished, then. Good day." He turned to head out the door. On the way out, he snatched some money that was lying by the table. Yamato was about to object, but he decided that it wouldn't be worth the trouble. 

Hikari took a quick glance at the brothers, then stood up and went after her own. 

Outside, she caught up with him. "Tai! What was that all about?"

Tai stopped, and turned to his sister. "What? Did you really think I would come and just kill them off?"

She looked at him, confused. "Well…that's the impression I got…"

He smiled, "Good, it worked then." 

"What do you mean?"

"Hikari, I've realized that taking a life for a life isn't worth it. While you were away, it got me thinking. I took into account what you said, and I thought about it a lot. At first, I had planned on wiping them all out, but like I said, we went over all the scenarios and consequences. Actually, I didn't bring any men at all with me."

"You came alone?"

"Yes."

"But, you sounded so…"

"Mean? Heartless? Yeah, I know. But I can't let them think I've gone all soft, now can I? I am the rebel leader, after all."

Kari smiled, "Shall we be getting back then?"

"You're coming back? I thought that you'd at _least _want to stay a few more days, seeing as you like them a lot more than you like us…"

"What? No! I'd never give you guys up. I love you too much!" There was a slight teasing in her voice. 

"Yeah, well, I'm not responsible for your transportation back home. I've got to get going now, Sora said that I'd better be home before dinner, or else."

Hikari raised an eyebrow, "Now, are you the influencing factor in the whole scheme of things, or is it Sora?"

"Sometimes, I'm not so sure…"

The girl chuckled.

"Well, I'm leaving. I can't stand to be here any longer…it's too perfect." he said with a look of mock disgust on his face. 

"I'll come home…I don't really think they want me here…" she replied, with slight sadness in voice.

"Now who gave you that idea?" A voice behind them asked.

Hikari wheeled around, to see Takeru behind her.

"Well, I…"

"You can go if you want, but you're more than welcome to stay." there was a look of hope in his eyes. 

Taichi leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "I think he wants you to stay." There was a knowing smile on his face. Tai stood back up, and headed into the forest.

Hikari watched him go, and then remembered something. "Tai!"

He stopped, "Yeah?"

"You _are _feeding Meeko, right?"

"Uh, yeah…" He said this, and kept going. He seemed to be in a hurry…

Hikari turned back to Takeru. "Well then, I guess I'm staying for a little while, aren't I?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah." Takeru replied, smiling back.

There was a silence between the two of them.

"Uh, so, what do we do now?" he asked.

"About what?" she wasn't sure what he was referring to.

"About everything." his face was soft, yet serious.

"Well, everything's a rather broad term…"

"I know but I don't know how else to put it."

Hikari nodded her head, but stayed silent.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Takeru asked hopefully.

"Uh…sure. I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do…" she answered.

"Oh…" he sounded a little dejected at the way her answer came out.

"Well, there's a trail that goes through the forest, we could go there." he suggested.

"Sounds nice," Hikari replied.

He nodded. 

The two of them started walking. There were no words spoken between them, and both seemed to be lost in thought. Takeru would occasionally steal a glance at the girl, and almost hoped that he'd catch her staring at him, but he never did.

__

'This is not _going the way I was hoping…she could a least say _something_.'_ thought T.K.

Hikari didn't really know what to do. She knew where this was going, and she knew where it would end up. She knew what his intentions were for brining her out here, alone, and it scared her. 

They kept walking along the trail. The light was fading, as the sun disappeared further and further below the horizon. The trees cast shadows on to the path before them, and the wind made them dance. They came upon a small clearing in the forest. In the middle, stood an old, moss-covered statue. It looked as if it were part of a fountain once, as there was a small empty basin underneath it. Surrounding the statue was a grove of willow trees, bent and twisted through time. 

Hikari studied the statue. As she took a closer look, she saw that it was an angel. It was chipped and worn, and one of the wings had almost all fallen off. It was just standing there, and she guessed that it would have been looking down into the water, if there had been any there. 

She looked up at Takeru. "What is this?" she asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered. "It was here when we came, though there was less moss. I come here sometimes, just to look around. It takes me away from everything. I know this sounds stupid, but sometimes I just sit here and wonder about it, like what it used to look like, what it's for, and who made it and why."

"It must have been beautiful." she commented softly.

"Yeah." 

Once again, the two were engrossed in silence. Hikari stared in awe at the statue, as Takeru tried to figure her out. He sighed as he came to the conclusion that he probably never would. 

She heard this. "What?"

He looked at her, not realizing she had heard it. "What?"

"What was that sigh for?"

"Oh, uh, just frustrated, I guess."

"About what?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh…" she trailed off, and looked back to the statue. This time, her thoughts were more towards the boy, than the sculpture.

"Look, I uh, I- I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. I mean, you were there for me even when you found out who I was, and I really wasn't expecting that. I've had a hard life, as you may be able to tell, and not a lot of people have been really nice to me. I just can't thank you enough for helping me. I feel that I'm forever in your debt…" she told him.

"No, think nothing of it. Everyone deserves a chance, and we would have done the same for anyone."

She nodded her head slowly, and suddenly felt dejected.

"No, I didn't mean it that way…really. I mean-it's just…" he sighed, "Oh, I don't know what I mean…"

"It's alright, I understand."

There was a slight pause, before Takeru spoke up. "Have you ever been in love?" he asked, not looking at her.

"What?" she was surprised at the suddenness of this question.

"Have you ever been in love?" he repeated.

"I heard you, but-"

Turning to her, he cut her off. "Just answer."

"Well…I really don't know. Before, if you asked me that, I would have answered that question with a 'no' faster than you can blink, but now, I'm not so sure…" she hesitated a moment, "you?"

"Up until now, no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hikari, afraid of the answer. 

"What I mean is that until you came…"

The tears threatened to come from her eyes. He saw this, and his heart began to break. He felt like running away, but knew he couldn't leave her. 

Takeru looked down at his shoes, "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that…"

Hikari chocked back the tears, "No, don't be. It's not your fault. It's just…" She started to cry.

It was a heart wrenching sight. He walked closer to her, and places his arms around her. 

"It's just what?"

She paused for a moment. "I just, I'm not worthy…"

"Not worthy for what?"

"I'm not worthy to be loved." She buried her face into him, and the floodgates opened. She began to sob uncontrollably.

"Shh, it's alright. I don't care what you think, or what anyone else does for that matter. I just want to be with you."

"Why?" she managed to choke out. 

"Because there's something in you that makes everyone around you happy. There's some sort of light in you that shines…I don't know how else to describe it. You always put others before yourself; you're kind, caring, and happy. Not to mention that you're also the most beautiful girl I've ever seen…" he trailed off.

She started to laugh lightly into his shirt. 

He smiled, and rubbed her back. 

The two of them just stood like that for a while, but this time the silence wasn't awkward at all. In fact, it was completely opposite. 

Takeru pulled Hikari from him. "It's getting late, and we should get back." he whispered.

She nodded, but didn't really want to move.

"Awe, don't worry. We can come back tomorrow"

She smiled. 

The two of them just stood there for a moment longer, staring at each other. Takeru reached up and put a strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. He sighed happily. The boy leaned in, and pressed his lips lightly to her forehead. 

"Let's go back before they think that your brother's somehow gotten us killed."

Hikari chuckled lightly at this comment.

The two of them turned back down the path. While they were walking, Takeru draped his arm around her waist, as she put hers around his shoulders. 

As they went on, Hikari smiled. She had been right.

Calmer of the Storm: So…..how was that for an ending? I'm really sorry if it sucks… I asked for suggestions, and no one gave them. But, if you really hate it, give me some suggestions and I can re-do this chapter. Anyways…I guess I'll be going now…TtYl!!!


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